Exposed
by Emertheawesome
Summary: His smiles are so precious, so fleeting and rare, that Kagome must collect them in a secret pouch next to her heart. Years after the well closed, Kagome begins to realize that Tokyo is not as youkai-free as previously thought. SK.
1. A Moment of Clarity

**A/N: **And I'm semi back. Life is hectic, but I'm trying to start this new story. All in drabble form, of course. Updates will probably be inconsistant, but I will do my best. Please enjoy! (I don't own Inuyasha. Diclaimer for all the following chapters.)

Exposed

"_Scientists have found the gene for shyness. They would have found it years ago, but it was hiding behind a couple of other genes.__"_

-Jonathon Katz

"_One of life's primal situations; the game of hide and seek. Oh, the delicious thrill of hiding while others come looking for you, the delicious terror of being discovered, but what panic when, after a long search, the others abandon you! You musn't hide too well. You musn't be too good at the game. The players must never be bigger than the game itself."_

-Jean Baudrillard

The first time Kagome noticed a presence not quite in synch with the natural aura of the shrine was a few years after the well had closed. Wearing an oversized, paint-stained t-shirt and cargo shorts, Kagome fisted her hands in soft soil as she struggled to decimate the weed population that was slowly overtaking her mother's azaleas.

For the most part the shrine always had a smooth aura, like vanilla and spring and warmth hidden in a cool breeze. Wiping a hand across her sweat dampened forehead, Kagome sat back. Something prickled against her senses. Something sharp and aggressive and distinctly _out-of-place._ With a shocked intake of breath, her gaze flew to the well house, then past it, because whatever _it _was, it was out there.

After a few tense seconds, where Kagome wavered between curiosity and wariness, it faded away. She didn't breathe until her lungs finally ached and screamed enough at her that she was forced to intake the unpolluted, holy air.

It was the first youkai Kagome had encountered in years, and it left her exuberant and shaky. As she went back to weeding, she slowly began to formulate all the ways she could unpeel the mortal reality of Tokyo in search of the hidden demon underneath.


	2. Tackiness is Key

"You should see him, Kagome! He's amazing. I didn't know professors like him existed."

Kagome quirked an incredulous eyebrow as Ayumi sighed wistfully. Both lounged on a park bench situated tastefully beneath a grove of trees at the edge of campus, and Kagome's long-time friend was regaling her on the model-like stature of one of the new teachers.

"Mm-hm," Kagome replied indulgently as she nibbled from a bento box settled haphazardly on her lap.

"And what is even better," Ayumi gushed, "is that were starting his class next week! I can't wait to see how he teaches. Do you think he uses chalk, or a projector?"

Kagome choked slightly and stared at the starstruck girl incredulously. "What does _that _matter?"

Ayumi shot Kagome a sly glance. "_Kagome," _she stressed, "don't you know a man's tools reveals _everything?"_

"Uhhh," trailed Kagome eloquently.

Ayumi laughed and patted her friend's arm gently. "It's okay. We'll see on Monday."

Kagome went back to her food, sincerely hoping the rest of the term would not be filled with terribly concealed innuendo.


	3. Brushing Against Hope

Kagome sighed, rubbing a shoulder wearily as she trudged down the street. Finals were finished, and the weekend stretched before her. As a college student she should be ecsastic about not having any homework, studying, or stress to keep her busy. In all reality, she was disaapointed and was already planning things that she could do to keep her occupied. Depsite her general contentment, sometimes certain things—emotions, memories—would creep up and bite her. It was better to stave off such happenings, not even giving her moods the chance to overcome her.

'_I need to pick up some groceries for Mama….'_

Kagome tooked a quick detour into a small market to pick up supplies for dinner. It was as she was leaving that she noticed something different. Clenching the paper bag to her chest, Kagome stiffened. It was there, like a hammer in her head, an iron grip around her chest. Beginning with a faint tingling until it was overwleming—an _aura._

Discreetly, Kagome scanned the area through her bangs. Nothing seemed out of place. The neat aisles were fairly deserted, and the cashier frowned obliviously at a magazine secreted beneath the counter. Stepping through the sliding class door, Kagome gasped as she brushed against it.

A man. A tall man. At least a head taller than her, donned in a relaxed suit, wearing a cool expression as he gazed down at her auspiciously. Kagome's eyebrows shot up, but manners came first.

"Oh, excuse me," she mumbled. The man, his inky black hair almost covering the majority of his upper face, quirked an eyebrow, then strode away.

Kagome hadn't realize she had been holding her breath until he moved down one of the aisles, out of sight. In a daze, she left the shop and stumbled down the street. As she made her way up the stairs to the shrine though, the haze finally lifted and a smile spread across her face.

'_Step two: start a conversation.'_


	4. A Breath of Fresh Air

Kagome shifted slightly in her seat, drumming her fingers on the small desk. She focused on the pencil etchings engraved in the wood, relics from previous students who had attended the many classes held in that auditorium. Ayumi sat beside her, exuding a different kind of anticipation.

"I can't wait," Ayumi hissed excitedly, "he's said to be really young too!"

Kagome suppressed an eye roll, replying with an unenthusiastic, "Uh huh." Her nails ran trails over the wood.

The steady thrum of mutters and whispers died down until only a breathy silence filled the hall. A strait-backed, tall man strode confidently onto the stage. His hair was cropped and slightly shaggy, barely shadowing his features. His face was stern, even. His nose spoke of pride, his lips of discipline, and his eyes flashed with cold arrogance.

Ayumi let out a soft sigh, then grinned knowingly at Kagome, who had stiffened in her seat, entranced by the man.

"I told you," she whispered.

Kagome couldn't bring herself to reply, because though the man's looks were quite entrancing, it was his _aura _that called to her.

_Youkai…. _The thought filtered through her stunned mind. _And a powerful one_. His presence overwhelmed the room, like the cloying smell of mint, or the burden of a damp blanket. It was a weight on her chest that proved difficult to remove. Inside her, she felt the shifting of her own aura, the desire, the _need _to push that aura back and wrap it in her own. A challenge.

Kagome held back. The man was gazing at them all imperiously. The lectern was empty: no notes, no book, no pen and paper. Kagome readied her own notebook and pencil, taking deep, steadying breaths. Soon the oppressive feel faded, a mere niggling sensation in the back of her mind.

His voice washed through the hall like a potent wave as he began to lecture, and Kagome took deep breaths, forcing herself to focus. He ended early, thankfully, and strode from the hall just as quick and no-nonsense as he had entered. Kagome collected her things in a daze as Ayumi chattered away happily.

_Youkai… _she thought.

_I'm not alone._


End file.
